George Mason beats W&M on penalty kicks in NCAA men's soccer first round

William & Mary's Michael Teiman sits on the field after the Tribe… (Kaitlin McKeown, Daily…)

November 21, 2013|By Dave Fairbank

WILLIAMSBURG — William and Mary challenged through 110 minutes and a round of penalty kicks, but George Mason's defense and goalkeeper Steffen Kraus prevailed.

Kraus, a freshman from Stuttgart, Germany, made eight saves in regulation and stopped a pair of penalty kicks as the Patriots advanced to the second round of the NCAA tournament Thursday at Albert-Daly Field.

The match ended in a 2-2 draw, and George Mason won the penalty kick shootout 4-2, as Kraus turned away shots from Will Smith and Josh West.

Chase Miller's penalty kick in the fifth round clinched it for the Patriots (12-2-6), who will face New Mexico in a second-round game Sunday in Albuquerque, N.M.

"I thought it was a tremendous game," Tribe coach Chris Norris said. "Both teams putting everything on the line, giving it everything that they have. Four goals scored, drama at the end with penalty kicks. We're disappointed to come out on the short end, but I'm really proud of our guys and the effort that they gave."

"Defensively, we've been good all year," Mason coach Greg Andrulis said. "It's not often that we gave up two goals, but credit William and Mary. They had two great finishes."

After the game ended tied in regulation and two overtime periods, the Tribe went with reserve goalkeeper Bennett Jones to replace Mac Phillips. The 6-4 Jones is taller and covers more space, Norris said.

Indeed, Jones stopped one Mason penalty kick and got a hand on two others, but couldn't deflect them.

"It's impossible to replicate exactly what you're going to see and the emotions you're going to feel," Norris said of penalty kick situations. "I thought our guys did great. The two penalties that were saved were very good (kicks), it was just a very good goalkeeper."

Mason, the Atlantic 10 Conference tournament champ, scored first when Timi Mulgrew maintained his composure to register his fourth goal of the season. His first shot from the top of the box, right-footed, and was blocked by a defender almost directly in front of him. The ball came back to him and he struck it left-footed past Phillips inside the right post.

The Tribe answered almost immediately. The Patriots couldn't clear Chris Perez's corner kick from the left side. Patel collected the loose ball on the left side of the box about 20 yards out and blasted a shot into the upper right corner on which Kraus had no chance.

Mason took advantage of a W&M giveaway near its end of the midfield circle. Wes Sever collected the ball and dribbled straight in as Tribe defenders retreated. Phillips came off line, and Sever, angling left, pushed a 15-yard shot into the vacated net in the 72nd minute for a 2-1 lead.

Seven minutes later, the Tribe got the equalizer. Eskay blasted a shot from 22 yards into the upper left corner.

Both teams had scoring chances in the final 15 minutes of regulation and overtime, but were unable to convert.